Dr. Shamaine Bertrand is an activist, educator, and advocate who strives every day to help center Blackness in elementary education, addressing issues of race/racism, class, inequities in education, and helps both preservice and inservice teachers do self-work in order to make sure they are showing up the way students need them to. She is an Assistant Professor of Elementary Education in the School of Teaching and Learning at Illinois State University (ISU). While at ISU, Dr. Bertrand co-founded the Equity & Diversity (ED) Cohort and became the PDS Liaison for two local public-school districts. In addition to her roles at ISU, she is the co-creator and co-host of the Black Gaze Podcast and an educational consultant for schools and school districts across the United States.